The next chappy is here. Glad you all seemed to like it in some way. I was toggling with Yumi getting raped, then decided against it. Good thing, this way I can't get hunt down and killed.

Shattered

-=- By Suki -=-

Chapter 2 -=- Star in the Cloudy Sky

The day had gone by like a whirl wind. All too soon it was time for bed. Yumi couldn't bear it. Sleeping wasn't an option for her. She hadn't even been to her room.

"Yumi?" Ulrich waved his hand in front of her face. "Let me help you upstairs." Yumi nodded.

"Night," Odd and Jeremie waved, watching the couple leave the table and exit. When they were both sure the two were gone, they began discussing the day's events.

"What's wrong with Yumi?" Odd asked Jeremie.

"She's traumatized. How I don't know," Jeremie said. He suspected something horrid had happened. Not just scary, but really scary. Yumi usually could put her feelings aside, hide them. But this? She never had looked so bad in his eyes. Jeremie had never seen Yumi cry.

"Poor Yumi," Odd looked at the exit, as though she would come back. "She's such a nervous wreck."

"Yeah, maybe a good night's rest will help," Jeremie smiled hopefully.

"Maybe."

-=-

Ulrich led Yumi to her room, which was right across the hall from his. He knocked, waiting to see if Yumi had a roommate.

"Come in," a female voice called from inside. Ulrich opened the door and looked around, completely amazed. The room was painted a deep blue and seemed like time ran slower.

"Err... this is Yumi. She's your roommate," Ulrich explained, motioning to Yumi, who was sitting on the empty bed.

"Okay," the girl smiled, and turned to face him. She had just over shoulder length red hair. Not like Millie's, who's was a fiery red, but dark, almost brown. "Nice to meet you, Yumi."

"Right. Well, I'm going to go now," Ulrich announced. "Yumi, if you need something, call me." Ulrich left, shutting the door behind him.

"Wait," the girl went out into the hall with him. "She's not feeling well, is she?"

"No," Ulrich shook his head. "She's traumatized."

"I thought so... I'll see what I can do for her. The school usually puts people with issues in my room. I'm used to it," the girl smiled sadly. "But I've never seen one this bad. Whatever happened was terrible."

"Thanks," Ulrich smiled and extended his hand. "I'm Ulrich, by the way."

She took his hand, her grip gentle and kind. "I'm Carly. I already know who you are. Everyone does."

-=-

Carly awoke that night to Yumi's sobs. "Hey now. Don't cry!" she said, hurrying over to Yumi's bed.

"He's coming to get me again," she muttered. Her voice was trembling. Tears streaked her cheeks.

"Not while I'm here. I'd kill him first," Carly reassured her. "Besides Lime's been keeping watch all night."

"Who?" Yumi asked, looking up at Carly for the first time.

"Lime, my kitty," Carly pointed to a fuzzy shape sitting in the window sill. "He's been watching all night."

"Oh..." Yumi nodded.

"He tried to hurt you, didn't he?" Carly asked, looking out at the moon.

"Well... it wasn't exactly painful..." Yumi trailed off. She didn't want to explain it.

"Yes, it was. I can tell. Even if it doesn't make you bleed on the outside, it does on the inside," Carly told her. "It hurts a different way." She clutched something on her neck. Yumi strained to see what it was. It looked like a necklace.

"Did someone hurt you?" she asked suddenly.

Carly nodded sadly. "Yes, in many ways. My parents divorced at 5. I blamed myself. My dad became abusive hitting me and pinning me to things and yelling. My mom became depressed. It hurt a lot. Not outside so much, but inside. My dad taking his rage out on me, my mom crying all the time. It hurt terribly. I wanted to help, to not make my dad hate me and make mom happy again. Perfection was my only answer. Dad didn't hate me once I was perfect. All I did was school stuff and tried not to burden him at all. Taking care of my mom was pretty easy. I became good at hiding my feelings; bottling them up inside. But that wasn't the worst part..."

"What was?" Yumi asked. In her opinion, it all sounded bad.

"I became so entangled in it all, that I hurt myself. Every time I wanted to cry, I held back. Every time I wanted to ask for help, I got up and did it myself. Each and every thing I held in, cut my heart. I was killing myself, slowly and painfully. Once I was at the point where I didn't care anymore. I just didn't care..."

"But, now you seem better," Yumi pointed out.

"Better, yeah. I still do it sometimes, but not all that often. You see my mistakes Yumi? Learn from them," Carly smiled sadly. "Don't make them yourself."

"Thanks..." Yumi muttered, drifting off to sleep.

Carly smiled and returned to her own bed. As she drifted off too, a tear slid down her cheek.

-=-

Sad, huh? More is coming later. How do you think the story is coming so far anyways? I'm afraid it'll get too depressing. Oh well. - Suki